Think Dangerously

A Corvallis Art Gallery Lexicon

Whether you’re an artist, collector, or both, Corvallis has a myriad of venues open to peruse, place, or purchase fantastic art, from traditional galleries to funky coffee houses, bakeries, and even yarn connoisseurs. We’re about to give you the low-down on the art friendly folks around town. Let the art spark begin.

The Arts Center
700 SW Madison Avenue
Contact: Hester Coucke, 541-754-1551
Commission: 50%
One of the more prominent and classic galleries in town, the Arts Center is located by Central Park and is open to all types of media. Determining what goes up, an exhibition committee is around to discuss which shows they believe to be of interest and value to the Corvallis community. For more information, visit the website http://theartscenter.net.

LaSells Stewart Center
875 SW 26th Street
Contact: Tina Green-Price, 541-737-2402
Commission: Variable
Two galleries, the Giustina Gallery and the Murdock Gallery, are located in LaSells on the Oregon State University campus. Large walls and beautiful lighting make for optimal viewing. They host 10 to 12 shows per year and about a third of them are open to the public. Basic guidelines for the submission process are on the website: http://oregonstate.edu.lasells/gallery.

Pegasus Frame Studio & Gallery
341 SW 2nd Street
Contact: Paige Shumway, 541-757-0042
Commission: 40%
This is the quirky and friendly downtown gallery that prefers to meet the person and the art in person. Middle of the day drop-ins are best. They focus on local/regional art and appreciate hands-on, original pieces. There’s always a variety of great work available for viewing and purchase, with something to interest just about any art lover. For more information, view their website at www.pegasusartgallery.com.

Art in the Valley
209 SW 2nd Street
Contact: Cy Stadsvold, 541-752-0811
A co-op gallery with juried members and a membership fee, they host 18 artists at a time and enjoy all types of art: oil paintings, 3D art, mixed media, pottery, jewelry, greeting cards, and more. Display changes monthly and each artist brings in a new piece each month. Check out their website at http://artinthevalley.net.

Bombs Away Cafe
2527 NW Monroe Avenue
Contact: Joel Gustufson, 541-757-7221
Commission: None
At an ideal location across from Oregon State University campus, Bombs Away draws in a cool crowd of regulars, students, and music lovers. You can send links to your work to gallery@bombsaway.com, but walk-ins are also welcome. Art stays up for a month. For further information, visit www.bombsawaycafe.com.

Imagine Coffee
5460 SW Philomath Boulevard
Contact: Bonnie or Marlene, 541-286-4340
Commission: Varies. 15-20% of proceeds go to non-profit of artist’s choice.
This unique coffee house located in southwest Corvallis prefers art to be active, to be able to connect with the customers. They encourage artists to come in and paint (or whatever your medium is) alongside the display. The space is large and occupies several artists at a time. They love creating a mystique so people are pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere each time they visit. There is no limit to the kind of art they accept. For more information, visit www.imaginecoffee.net or call the shop and leave a message.

Interzone
1563 NW Monroe Avenue
Contact: Bill McCanless, 541-754-5965
Commission: 10%
This coffee house has a reputation for being ultra-supportive to artists in the community—it’s definitely worth your time to stop in and enjoy the scenery. They are open to all forms of artwork. Walk-ins are preferred so they can get a feel for the work, but it is okay to send files to fullframe@hotmail.com. Swing by the website: www.interzoneorganic.com.

New Morning Bakery
219 SW 2nd Street
Contact: Keara James, 541-754-0181
Commission: None
A nice place to have your cake and see art, too. They accept all types of artwork as long as it can be hung on their brick walls—and gorgeous they are. Of course, they prefer artists that have large pieces because of the amount of space there is to fill. Art stays up from the first Sunday of the month to the first Sunday of the following month. Email attached photos of art or a link to your website to keara@newmorningbakery.com.

Sunnyside Up
116 NW 3rd Street
Contact: Jon Gold, 541-758-3353
Commission: None; however, they ask if an artist does make a sale that they make a donation to any of their favorite local charities, e.g. Jackson Street Youth Shelter, Community Outreach, Community Food Share, Empty Bowls, etc.
Known for delicious breakfast specialties, this downtown art-friendly cafe is open to all mediums. According to Gold, they are partial to abstract expressionism, dadaism, and cubism, and pieces need to be large enough to show—anything smaller than 14 x 16 might get lost on their large walls. Art shows last for one calendar month.

Downtown Dance
223 NW 2nd Street
Contact: Jenna Hart, 541-224-1273
Commission: None, but donations to the dance studio are welcome.
A strong will to support artists in the Corvallis community paired with beautiful brick walls and a great space for display, this all-ages dance studio is ideal for family friendly/uplifting artwork. Displays run from one to three months. Send inquiries to jenna.m.hart@gmail.com.

Stash
110 SW 3rd Street
Contact: Sonia Ruyts, 541-753-9276
Commission: 30%
This spacious yarn shop has a positive vibe—and what better way to browse art than while surrounded by colorful skeins of yarn? This shop is incredibly friendly to the arts community and is open to all art, with shows lasting between one and two months on average. An email with pictures is the best way to show work and inquire into booking; send it to info@stashlocal.com. For Stash’s website, check out www.stashlocal.com.